Car-coupling.



w'LF. RICHARDS.

CAR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED IAN-14, \914.

Patenwd @1320, 1915,

B the shank thereof.

WILLARD F. RICHARDS, OF DEPEW, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOLL T0 GOULD COUPLER.

COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Gian-consults.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1%.5.

Application filed January 14, 1914. Serial 330. 812,124.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, lVl'LLARD F. 1CI-IARDS.'

a citizen of the United States, residing at Depew, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful improvement in Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway car cou= piers of that kind in which the coupler head islpivoted to the shank or draw-bar and is normally retained in a central position by, acentering device which allows the head to swing sidewise in either direction when the cars carrying the couplers are rounding curves.

.The objects of the invention are to provide a centering device of simple and practical construction by which the coupler head is norma-llyretained in its central relation to the shank and returned to such position when. permitted to after being swung to either side; also to make the .coupler head easily removable from the shank and arrange the centering device so that it is removed from the shank with the coupler head 'and is thus readily accessible; and also to make the construction such that the centering device operates on the head with the mariimum leverage, thus enabling the use or an operating spring of minimum size.

' In the accompanying drawings: Figure l. is a fragmentary plan View, partly in horizontal section. of a car coupler and shank embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly invertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the shank in line 3-3. Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the coupler head swung to one side. v

A represents the head of a car coupler and These parts. except as hereinafter explained. may be of any suit able construction. '1 he shank preferably consists of a hollow steel casting.

The coupler head is provided with a neck C projecting rearwardly therefrom. preterably into the open front end of the shank B. and is pivotally connected to the shank by a vertical pin or bolt D which passes through registering holes in the shank and neck C and permits the head to swine laterally to eithen side from a centralpositionrelative to thesh'ank. A pivotz'll connection of any suitable construction could be employed, but preferably a headless pivot bolt n is employed which is adapted to be inserted into and removed from the holes in the shank and neck C from below the coupler shank. The bolt D is supported .in' place by a removable key or gib E inserted through a transverse key-slot e in the upper end of the bolt above the top of the shank. ,The key l 'l shown is provided in its top edge between its ends with a notch 0 Wide enough for the upper edge of the key-slot e to seat therein bet-Ween the raised end portions of the key, and the key-slot e in the bolt is deep enough for the passage of the deep end portions f the key. The key is also u'efer-.ibly adapted to restin a shallow seat or slot f/ in the'top of the shank B which assists in preventing the disengagement of the key from the bolt and prevents the bolt from turning. To secure the bolt it is pushed upwardly through the holes in the shank and neck until the .kcyslot fully exposed above the top f the shank B and the key E inserted into the slot e in the bolt and the bolt allowed to drop until the top edge oi the key-slot c is seated in the notch r in the key and the key rests in the seat 5/. The key cannot then be removed Without first lifting the bolt to raise the upper edge of the l-:ey-slot (5 out of the notrh c and li'lt the key out of the scat 1 nut ll. or oihcr suitable device, is ap plied to the lower end i the bolt to prevent the latter from lilting and permitting the. a -ridoiual (lismigmgumcut oi the key. A nut scrmvcil on a thrcnd at the lower end of the 5 l olt is prc'i'crrcd lll\"(3 y tightening the not the bolt can e drawn downwardly Uplllmlf' seat and hold the key i l and to tighten the pivotal connection between the coupler head and the shank.-

it iudiru-tcs u cotter pin for preventing the nut i'rou: loosening. i

To remove the bolt l) f r drtachiug the head from the shank the nor ii is first unscrewed enough f r the bolt to be liitetb shank for a considerable distance beyond the pivot bolt D and is preferably tapered or provided with rearwar converging sides to permit a greater deflection of the coupler head. At the rear or inner end of the neck is slidably mounted a shoe or device I which is pressed by a spring K against a V shaped or double inclined transverse surface I Z in the shank B. As shown, this V-shaped surface is formed by an integral V-shaped cross-bar or web L in the shank. When the coupler head is swung to either side of its central position, the device I will be moved forwardly on the neck bycontact with one of the inclined faces of the cross-bar L and will pompress the spring K, and when the coupler head is released the pressure of the spring will cause the device I to slide down the incline into the angle of the V-bar, thereby returning the coupler head to its central position, in which it will be yieldingly retained by the pressure of the spring tending to hold the device I in the angle of the As shown, the neck is made hollow, hav-- ing top' and bottom walls z' connected by upright side webs a" and is provided on the inner sides of its top and bottom walls with longitudinal grooves or guideways 2' into which top and bottom ribs on the device I enter to guide the slide in its movements on the neck. The device I is preferably provided at its rear end with an anti-friction. roller i by which it bears against the in-. clined surfaces of the l-bar-L, the anti friiftion roller being suitably journaled in a cavity in the rear end of the device. The

' spring K is a coil spring arranged in the hollow neck between the slide I and a bearing portion is on the neck adjacent to the pivot bolt. The slide and bearing portion of the neck are preferably provided with studs 70 I0 which project into the opposite ends of the spring for retaining the same in position.

By the described construction of the centering device, the spring-actuated slide or device I and the inclines on which it reacts are located at the end of a long neck or arm on the coupler head at a considerable distance from the pivotal connection and therefore operate with a long leverage so that a comparatively small spring furnishes the necessary force to right or center the coupler head. The movable slide or-device I and its operating spring are mounted on "the neck and are removable therewith from the shank, and there are no working parts mounted in the shank. The Working parts of the device can therefdre be readily assemblcd and are readily accessible for repairs on the shank to limit the 'to the weight of the over by detaching the coupler head from the shank, and there are no inaccessible parts in the shankwhich require machining or assembling.

M represents upright shoulders on"the coupler head at opposite sides of the neck C adapted to engage coiiperatingshoulders coupler head.

The inner or rear end of the neck prefer ably extends between internal transverse ribs 07, n on the topand "bottom walls of the shank, or into bearing relation to other suitable parts of the shank for the purpose of relieving the pivot bolt from strain due anging coupler head-or to vertical stresses'ihereon.

I claim as my invention:

coupler head, a shank to which said head is pivotally connected, said headhavinga neck which extends longitudinally of said shank beyo d said pivotal connection, stationary in ines on said shank, and a springpressed device movably mounted on said neck and engaging said inclines for centering said head on said shank.

2.'In a car coupler, the combination of a chambered shank provided interiorly with inclined faces, a coupler head pivoted to said shank and having a neck extending into the shank a device mlovably mounted on said neck, and a spring, which presses said device against said incl'ned faces for cen tering the head on the sl .ank

3. In a i-ar coupler, the combination of a 1. In a car coupler, the (fombination of a deflection of. the

chambered shankprovided interiorly with j a stationary V-shaped' transverse surface, a coupler head pivoted to said shank and h ving a neck extending into the shank bey pd the pivot for the head, a device mounted \to slide longitudinally on said neck, and a spring which presses said device against said v shaped surface.

4. I a car coupler, the combination of a chambered shank, a c'oupler head having a neck pivoted to saidsha'nk and extending into the shank beyond said pivot, a springpressed device which is movable on the rear end portion of said neck,--. and lnchnes in said shank against which said'device reacts tocenter the coupler head on the shank.

5. In a car coupler, the combination of a chambered shank, a coupler head havin a neck pivoted to said shank and extending into the shank beyond said pivot, a device mounted to slide on said neck longitudinally of the shank, a spring which :is arranged between 'sa1d device and a portion of said neck and presses said device rearwardly, and

inclines in said shank against which said device reacts to center the coupler, head on the shank.

6. In a car coupler, the combination of: a chambered shank, a coupler head'having a chambered neck pivoted to said shank and extending into the shank beyond said pivot, a device arranged to slide in said neck, a coil spring, in said neck which acts on said device, and inclines in said shank against which said device reacts to center the coupler head-on the 7. In a car coupler, the combination of a chambered shank, a coupler head removahlf"r pivoted to said shank and having a nec extending longitudinally of the shank, and a device which is mounted on said neck and acts lengthwise or" the neck against said shank for centering the coupler head relative to the shank, said device being removable with said head from said shank.

8. In a car coupler, the combination of a chambered shank, a coupler head pivoted to said shank and having a. neck extending into the shank beyond thev pivot for the head, means carried by said neck and acting lengthwise thereof for centering the coupler head relative to theshank, and parts on the shank against which the inner portion of said neck is adapted to hear to relieve the said pivot from strain due to the weight of the coupler head or vertical stresses thereon.

-Witness my hand, this 6th day of Jan:

nary, 1914:.

' A WILLARD F. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

DONALD C. DAVIS, ALLEN B. Bnimamn. 

